Vehicle shock absorbers (also known as dampers) have undergone various design changes in recent years. Originally, shock absorbers were not adjustable. Then, multi-stage shock absorbers were developed which had two or perhaps three settings: soft, firm, and in some instances, an intermediate setting. Adaptive ride control systems based on this type of shock absorber must make many performance compromises due to the quantized damping levels. Most recently, "continuously variable" shock absorbers have been developed, which have an infinite, or at least large, number of settings between soft and firm. In the art, the term "continuously variable" includes dampers which have 16 or more settings. In addition, some continuously variable shock absorbers are soft when the control signal has some value, and become firm for rebound strokes only when the control signal is increased from that value, and become firm for bump strokes only when it is decreased. These are referred to as "skyhook" dampers, because they simplify the implementation of a control system based on "skyhook" theory. This theory states that damping force should be applied such that it opposes the velocity of the sprung mass, independent of the relative velocity between the sprung and unsprung masses.
Various "skyhook" theory based damping force control systems for adjustable automotive shock absorbers have been developed. Some of these systems have poor "balance", which means that the amplitude and phase relationship between bounce and pitch motions is objectionable. Some of these systems result in increased ride harshness due to "over-controlling" during smaller ride events. Some of these systems are perceived as "jerky" or "grabby" due to the control algorithms used to dynamically adjust the damping. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for controlling continuously variable dampers in a manner which provides a high level of ride quality, with good balance, reduced harshness, and without any jerkiness.